Big tobacco withholds safe "cigarette"

This is interesting. It seems Phillip Morris developed an inhaler over a dozen years ago that could deliver nicotine safely, thus preventing many unnecessary deaths but failed to bring it to market because (a) they were denying that nicotine was addictive at the time they began R&D and (b) they were afraid the device would cut into their market for cigarette addicts. They're now trying to market the device as a medical delivery system for medicines.

First rule of the corporatocracy. Protect the profit margin above all else. This is why I have to laugh sardonically when people tell me we can trust the corporations to do what's best for the public, if only we would give them free rein in the so called free market.

[hat tip to Tim Meehan]